Sam Boughedda
LeapRate Analyst
Hong Kong
April 18, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Hidden Road Secures FINRA Broker-Dealer Licence to Expand Fixed Income Offering

The move comes not long after it was announced that Hidden Road was acquired by Ripple for $1.25 billion. The licence enables Hidden Road to offer a wider range of regulatory-compliant services—including clearing, financing and execution—to institutional clients in the fixed income market.  The firm’s platform already includes Fixed Income Repo and Global Funding services.…

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financial buildings
April 18, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

MoneyGram Partners with Plaid to Enhance Pay-by-Bank Services in the US

Announced on Thursday, the partnership allows MoneyGram users in the US to authenticate their bank accounts through Plaid’s financial network.  The service is expected to improve the MoneyGram Online experience. It is expected to scale to additional markets later this year. “The MoneyGram network moves money for over 50 million customers each year, across nearly every…

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April 17, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Man Group Reports $172.6 Billion in AUM at the End of Q3

The increase was driven by $3.6 billion in net flows and $1.5 billion from other factors, partially offset by $1.1 billion in negative investment performance.  The group’s long-only strategies saw the most notable growth, with discretionary long-only assets rising by $4.4 billion to $33.2 billion, led by strength in credit and convertibles. Man Group estimated…

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BNP Paribas and market maker GTS extend collaboration to US Equities
April 17, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Impax Asset Management Subsidiary Enters Into Advisory Agreement with BNP Paribas Asset Management Europe

Under the terms of the agreement, IAMI will provide investment advisory services to BNPP AM Europe in relation to an investment fund.  The firm explained that the deal forms part of an ongoing distribution arrangement between Impax and BNP Paribas Asset Management across several international markets. As part of the agreement, BNPP AM Europe will…

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FINRA's 2018 volume tops 2017 activity by 87%
April 17, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

FINRA Fines Sonenshine & Company LLC

According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) published by the regulator, the New York-based investment banking firm failed to establish and implement policies and internal controls reasonably designed to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act.  Notably, FINRA says the firm did not respond in a timely manner to Financial Crimes Enforcement Network…

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April 16, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

OKX Launches in the US, Roshan Robert Joins as US CEO

The expansion includes the launch of OKX’s centralised exchange and OKX Wallet, with regional headquarters established in San Jose, California.  As part of the expansion, the firm said existing OKCoin users will be migrated to the OKX platform, gaining access to “deeper liquidity, lower fees, and advanced trading tools.” “I’m thrilled to announce the launch…

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April 16, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Cboe Begins Trading in S&P 500 Equal Weight Index Options

The move expands its suite of equity derivatives products aimed at both retail and institutional investors. The new options, which began trading on 14 April, are said to be based on the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index, where each constituent is weighted equally at 0.2% following quarterly rebalancing.  Cboe explained that, unlike the traditional capitalisation-weighted…

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Hong Kong
April 16, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Ant International’s WorldFirst Launches World Card

The solution is said to be designed to simplify global commerce for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  The firm said in a press release that the new offering aims to streamline cross-border transactions and reduce operational costs, providing enhanced global reach, security, and cost efficiency. They added that the World Card allows users to pay…

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April 16, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

GTN and Webull Partner On Fixed Income for APAC Investors

Announced on Wednesday, the collaboration is said to let Webull users in APAC invest in fractionalised US Treasuries and a broader selection of fixed income assets via GTN’s integrated single API framework.  The firm explains that the technology enables access to market data, trading, and account management — all through Webull’s mobile trading platform. “…

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